Start of Something New
by TorchHunter
Summary: Lily and Nikki are going back to Hogwarts for their SeventhYear. Lily realises she has feelings for someone she had always been determined not to have. What will happen when she realises she can't hide her feelings?
1. Chapter 1

The Start of Something New

DISCLAIMER – WE DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. WE ONLY OWN THIS STORYLINE

**CHAPTER 1**

"Hurry up Lily! We're going to miss the train at this rate. Who are you looking at anyway?" Nicole flicked her blonde hair out of her eyes to try and see what her best friend was so intently staring at.

"Me? I'm … not looking at anything. Come on Nikki," Lily said, brought back down to earth and blushing so fiercely that her face matched the colour of her vivid red hair. Nikki looked confused but shrugged it off as they heaved their trunks away.

The two girls bustled their way onto the Hogwarts Express, calling out to some of their friends along the way. After two minutes of searching they found an empty compartment.

"So good to be back," Lily said, looking out of the window at the rest of the laughing young witches and wizards.

"Go on then. Who is it?" Nikki asked, grinning at her friend. Lily looked decidedly in the opposite direction, put on a straight face and turned back.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said firmly.

"Yes you do. You like someone. I can see it in your big green eyes."

"Hey they're not that big!"

"I know. But they are filled with luuurrrve and I want to know who it is!"

"There's nobody!"

"It's not me is it?"

"Nikki!" Lily giggled, punching her friend playfully.

"Fine. But I just wish you'd tell me," she said, looking more serious. "We've been best friends since we were little First-year midgets. You know you can tell me."

Lily sighed heavily. "Oh alright then. I might as well. It's -"

But she stopped short as four fellow Seventh-years walked into the compartment.

"What're you lot talking about?" one boy said. He was pushing his messy black hair back unnecessarily as Nikki eyed him unfavourably.

"Nothing James," she said, with a look of pure distaste.

"They're talking about boys!" said another boy.

"Yeah Remus. They're after you!" said the best-looking of the group. He grinned at his friend who looked mildly discomforted.

"Don't think so Sirius, I want Peter!" Nikki said, playing along. Peter, a small plump boy standing behind the other three, quivered even more than normal and tried to sneak out of the compartment, unsuccessfully.

"Chill Wormtail," James said, holding him back. "Evans, looks like we're Head Boy and Girl together this year," he said smiling in an uncharacteristically mature way.

"Don't I know it," Lily answered rolling her eyes and looking away.

"Come on Prongs, Wormtail wants to go find the food cart. What a surprise," Sirius said, and the four left after James turned round and gave Lily another big smile. Nikki turned to Lily as if to say something and then stopped, stunned.

"Whoa! Lily you've gone bright red!"

"No I haven't!" she insisted, although she could feel her cheeks heating up.

"Oh!" Nikki said, with a look of dawning comprehension spreading across her pale face. "You fancy Sirius!"

"No I don't," she replied in a small voice, looking away.

"He's pretty fit you know, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Well, I'll take you're word for it that it isn't him, but it can't be Peter, or Remus – oh my God – you fancy James Potter!" Nikki squealed with a look of horror on her face.

"I do not!" Lily attempted to deny it.

"Yeah you do you've blushed even more! Check your mirror!"

Lily fished in her bag for a small mirror. Opening it up she shrieked.

"It's true!"

"Well didn't you know you fancied him you fool," Nikki said, laughing at her friend's sudden dumbness.

"But this makes it real. Oh my god I fancy James Potter!" she said, holding her head in her hands.

"I know. What's happened to you? Ew, ew, ew! But Lil. What're you going to do about it?"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"There he is, Lil. Go talk to him," Nikki said, nudging Lily exaggeratedly. Lily frowned in answer.

"I don't know. I don't think I want to do anything about it," she said, sitting down at the Gryffindor table and gazing thoughtfully at James. How beautiful his hazel eyes were behind their round spectacles.

"Oh come on! You like him; he's head over heels in love with you! What's your problem?"

"I don't know. It's just, it's James Potter! I've always hated him. I was kind of hoping my feelings would just disappear, you know?" she replied, as Dumbledore began his traditional speech. As usual, Nikki and Lily paid no attention to the no-talking rule as insisted on having girly chats while acquiring disapproving looks from the various teachers.

"Hmmm, whatever you say. I think I might try and get with Sirius though. He's looking even fitter than normal today," Nikki whispered, with a very satisfied expression as she watched him flick his dark hair out of his grey eyes as he said something to which his friends laughed appreciatively. Then Nikki shook her head. "But realistically. You and James are Head Boy and Girl now. You've got loads of opportunities to be alone, and it won't look obvious. It's the perfect situation, Lil."

"I guess. I'll just see what happens though," Lily muttered, still staring at James.

"Yeah, 'cos staring at him isn't making it obvious at all!" Nikki said, sarcastically, while shaking her head.

"What? Oh … yeah," Lily said vaguely. James glanced over, caught her look and smiled. Without even realising it a small smile spread over her face. James looked just as taken-aback as Nikki did, who wasn't used to Lily behaving like this. She, Nikki, was the boy-mad one; Lily had only had two boyfriends in the whole of their time at Hogwarts, and neither relationship had lasted long. James was equally surprised; usually Lily looked down on him with superb disdain and he took her smile as a promising sign and whispered something to Sirius.

"Lily! There's a Charms Exam tomorrow!" Nikki said loudly in her ear, gaining her an angry look from Professor McGonagall up at the teacher's table.

"What? We need to revise! Come on, let's skip dinner!" Lily answered immediately, shocked.

"Now there's the Lily I know!" Nikki said, and began to eat the food that had magically appeared by that point as Lily looked confused, while taking a few moments working out that her friend was only joking. She shrugged and followed suit, every now and then her eyes flicking back to James.

It was the end of the feast; Dumbledore had said a few words and the students had begun moving out of the hall, noisily and boisterously.

"You've got to wait behind, with James, remember?" Nikki said, as Lily began following her. Lily's green eyes blinked once nervously and then she nodded.

"See you in the common room then?" Lily asked, giving her friend a hug.

"Yep. Good luck," Nikki said, laughing as she followed Sirius out of the hall hopefully.

Lily took a deep breath and walked over to the teacher's table where Dumbledore, McGonagall and James were waiting for her patiently.

"Don't worry, Miss Evans, we won't keep you long," Dumbledore informed her with a twinkle in his clear blue eyes. Lily smiled proudly; it had always been her ambition to be Head Girl and now she was finally it. "Would you care to sit down?"

The four were soon seated at the table, McGonagall and Dumbledore describing the Head Boy and Girls' duties in great detail. James, as usual, smiled at Lily every time their eyes met, and for the first time since their first year (before she had got to know and loathe James Potter), she smiled back.

Lily was surprised when she felt James' knee touch hers. She blushed and he moved it away, apologising, while Dumbledore smiled, almost as if he knew what was going on. Then, two minutes later it happened again, and this time James didn't move his knee. Lily blushed again, but she realised she liked the physical contact.

By the end of the meeting, James and Lily walked out of the Hall and set off up to the Gryffindor common room where the usual start-of-year celebrations were going on.

"So how were your holidays?" Lily asked.

"Great. Since Sirius moved in it's been a lot better. What about you?" James replied.

"Really good," she replied.

"So, miss anyone over the holidays?" James asked, just as he did every year, but this time something had changed.

She blushed softly and gazed up into his hazel eyes.

"Just one person."

"Who's that?"

"I think you know."

"You know you're beautiful, don't you?" James said, moving closer.

"Well I kind of figured after the millionth time you told me," Lily said, laughing.

"I meant it every time," he said to her, and leant in to kiss her passionately.

Ten minutes later the two emerged from a broom cupboard when an aggravated Filch was attempting to force his way in.

"Stupid door," he grumbled, and shuffled away, Mrs Norris at his heels casting an angry glance at the closet door. James and Lily waited a minute and then sneaked out, trying not to laugh.

It wasn't long before they found themselves in front of the portrait hole.

"This is going to be great," James said, and the two began kissing once more.

"Get a room!" said a voice. Lily looked shocked for a moment before realising the voice came from the Fat Lady, looking most indignant. They burst out laughing and pushed their way through the portrait hole.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Lily and James entered the common room and went their separate ways.

"So? What happened?" Nikki asked Lily when she was comfortably seated in a squishy armchair by the fire.

"Well…" Lily began, smiling.

"Did you snog him?" Nikki butted in, interestedly.

"Yep," she replied, smiling even more. "Until we were interrupted by Filch and that god-damned cat Mrs Norris."

"This is great! You're going out with James Potter! I mean, not my personal favourite choice but it's still great!"

"Ssshhhh!" Lily insisted, tugging on Nikki's sleeve and looking around wildly. "I don't want this going round."

"Why not? He's like, the most popularist lad in the whole school! All the girls will be totally jealous of you! Well, not the Slytherins – they're all after that toe rag Lucius Malfoy – but they don't count. You'll be the most popular girl in the whole of the people who actually count," Nikki said. "And now, it gives me a reason to talk to Sirius more."

"I knew you'd see it that way. Don't worry you'll have no problem with Sirius – he's a total man-slut!" Lily said, giggling.

"But a gorgeous one," Nikki agreed.

"I feel so weird. I can't believe I'm going out with James Potter after all these years of hating him!"

The girls carried on chatting, every now and then Lily and James' eyes met from across the room and they smiled their secret smiles.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the common room, the four guys who made the Marauders – James, Sirius, Remus and Peter – were talking about James and Lily.

"Well done mate, here's your fifteen galleons," Sirius said to Remus, handing him a pile of gold.

"Thanks, I'll spend it wisely," he replied, pocketing the money that so rarely came his way.

"What's the money for?" James asked paying attention for the first time since he had sat down with his friends.

"Oh, we had a bet," Remus said, happily.

"What was it?"

"Remus thought you'd get together with Lily before the end of Seventh-Year but I figured she wouldn't have you. Turns out all your hard work has finally paid off, Prongs. Can't see why personally, but there you go," Sirius said, smirking.

"Shut up. Yeah, I wouldn't have put money on me going out with her either but something's changed and I'm definitely not complaining," he replied, grinning.

"James and Lily – the perfect couple," Peter said, dreamily from his little corner. The other three gave him disturbed looks.

"OK Wormtail, I know you're weird but even you don't normally sound like a First-year girl," James said, looking at the round, fidgety boy sitting quietly in the corner.

"Yeah. But he always sounds like a girl," Sirius commented. "_Anyway,_ Wormtail. Who do you like?"

"Erm … nobody … no," he said, looking sacredly at his three friends.

"Same as usual. _I swear he's gay,_" Sirius added in an audible whisper. Peter looked upset but said nothing. "Remus?"

"You know I like Fran," he said. That secret was almost as well-kept as James' love for Lily had been for the past six years. His eyes wandered over to Frances who had settled herself in a chair and was deep in conversation with Lily and Nikki. "What about you Sirius?"

"Yeah, which girl is it this week?" James asked. Sirius had a habit of fancying a different girl each week, and no matter who it was, he always got them.

"I think Nikki's fit as," he said, unblushingly.

"Yeah, then you and James can double-date," Peter said, interrupting most uncharacteristically.

"Yeah, fun," Sirius said sarcastically. "James, your lady-friend is leaving."

James' head whipped round to see Lily turn and wave before disappearing up the stairs to the dormitories.

"God she's beautiful," he said, forgetting his friends were there until he heard the three of them sniggering.

"Shut up you guys," he said, punching them before deciding on an early night.


End file.
